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House leaders to ask Speaker to return 2026 NEP to DBM By Maricel V. Cruz and Charles Dantes
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 201 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
DOJ issues lookout order vs. contractors Immigration order also covers DPWH execs
HOUSE leaders led by Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno have agreed to ask House Speaker Martin Romualdez to return the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). According to them, a review of the proposed NEP showed “serious and systemic” flaws, particularly in the al-
ALEX EALA SETS UP DUEL WITH VET LEPCHENKO
WORLD / A6
SPORTS / A8
BOC to run after lavish assets of other contractors
T
HE Department of Justice has issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against officials DPWH officials and private contractors involved in substandard or even “ghost” flood control projects.
trenched wrong practices,” he said. “Serve the people with integrity, ensure projects are in order, and expose anything that goes against public interest,” the President added.
THE Bureau of Customs is training its guns next on the lavish properties – including private yachts, helicopters, and airplanes – of other contractors of floodcontrol projects amid allegations of substandard or even “ghost” projects. “We are not singling out the Discaya family. It just so happened the search warrant (on their luxury cars) was the first to be approved,” Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said. A total of 14 luxury vehicles of the Discayas – 12 of which were covered by a search warrant – have been secured as of yesterday morning even as the BOC continues to look for more high-end cars. Nepomuceno said the bureau will look at whether other contractors paid the proper taxes and duties for their high-end assets. “We will ensure their assets have the proper documents, and no provision of the Anti-Smuggling Law was violated,” he said. He said the bureau will also not stop with securing just 14 cars of the Discaya couple. “They admitted to owning 28. So at the minimum, we will run after 28. But still we won’t stop at 28 because there might be more,” Nepomuceno said. BOC chief of staff Jek Casipit said the 12 luxury cars of the Discaya cou-
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LIGHT MOMENT. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. banters with officials of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) after their oath-taking ceremony yesterday in Malacanang. In his speech, the President acknowledged the support of the 82 provincial governments in the government’s programs in digitalization, agriculture, and disaster response. He also ordered the effective implementation of Zero Balance Billing in DOH facilities in their respective areas.
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Marcos calls on LGUs to put an end to entrenched wrong practices By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. yesterday called on newlyelected officials of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) to lead
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XI SAYS CHINA UNSTOPPABLE IN WW2 RITES
By Pot Chavez, Vito Barcelo, Darwin Amojelar, Ram Superable, Maricel Cruz and Joel Zurbano
The ILBO signed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla covered those in the request made by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, DOJ spokesperson Asec. Mico Clavano said in a text message. Clavano said a separate ILBO will be issued today (Thursday) based on the separate request made by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon. (See list on page 2) Among the DPWH officials listed in Marcoleta’s ILBO requests dated Aug. 27 and 28 were Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Ramon Arriola III, Luz Dela Rosa, Gerard Opulencia, Roseller Tolentino, Jayson Jauco and Norberto Santos.
locations for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Agriculture (DA). Puno said the decision was made during a ‘very lengthy’ meeting of House party leaders. Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the DBM and the DPWH) to thoroughly review
efforts in strengthening governance, fighting corruption, and improving delivery of public services. Speaking at the oath-taking of LPP officers in Malacañan Palace, President Marcos urged provincial leaders
to become the “guides, voices, and consciences” of their constituents as the country pursues reforms under the Bagong Pilipinas campaign. “Now, more than ever, the Philippines needs your leadership to put an end to en-
COA flagged questionable flood control projects as early as 2016 By Maricel V. Cruz THE Commission on Audit (COA) had already identified questionable flood control projects as early as 2016, yet many of its findings were left unaddressed, allowing irregularities to persist until they exploded into the multibillion-peso scandal now under investigation by several government bodies. House Deputy Majority Leader and Manila Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr. led the exchange with COA Auditor Tracy Ann Sunico in a recent public hearing, pointing out that if ghost projects exist today, they may have been rooted in
irregularities long ignored from previous years. Sunico confirmed that COA had long observed red flags in flood control projects, consolidating the findings across the country. She pointed to 2016 as the earliest year she had personally reviewed the documents. One irregularity she cited was “the fact that there were many bidders who did not declare all of their lists of ongoing projects in their financial and technical documents.” “There was also an observation that the same key personnel were assigned to the contractors’ simultaneous projects, Next page
THUMBS UP. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez joins fellow officers and members of the Lakas-CMD Party in flashing the thumbsup sign when they posed for a group photo following a lunch meeting yesterday at the social hall of the Speaker’s office in the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno
Palace dismisses Imee’s crystal ball ruminations By Charles Dantes MALACANANG yesterday downplayed Senator Imee Marcos’ claim that appointing Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as Ombudsman would be part of a supposed plot to jail Vice President Sara Duterte before the 2028 presidential elections. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed Imee’s conspiracy theory, comparing it to “predictions from a crystal ball” which should be “recalibrated” to reflect evidence rather than speculation. “Where can I buy or what manufacturer makes Senator Next page
DepEd suspends 7 private schools over ‘ghost’ students THE Department of Education has filed criminal complaints against seven private schools for allegedly having “ghost beneficiaries” in its senior high school voucher program. “Ghost” students refers to learners who were given vouchers to enroll in private schools who may have turned out to be unqualified for the program or did not exist at all. During the DepEd’s budget briefing before the House Committee on
Appropriations on Wednesday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the complaints involved nearly P70 million. “The complaints have been filed at the prosecutor’s office. And we have sent out demand letters. There are criminal cases over a total amount of P62.9 million,” Angara said. He said the DepEd’s legal department has pending investigations into Next page